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Advice on Glass Shower and Tub Enclosures

Many, many years ago I rented an apartment that had one of those old glass sliders on the tub. Once a week I’d take a sponge or steel wool and the kinds of cleaners you should only use in a very well-ventilated area and I’d go to town. I was sure that if I just put in enough elbow grease I’d surely get rid of those white streaks on the glass- the ones that always came back as soon as the glass dried. I was clearly dealing with a soap scum issue of global proportions. I switched to a gentler soap. I (I should be ashamed of myself) started cleaning with liquid toilet bowl cleaner. In the end, I moved out. I found a nice new place and purchased myself a nice new shower curtain.

Every once in a while I think about that slider and cringe because I know something now that I didn’t know then. That wasn’t soap scum. It wasn’t lime buildup or some other “deposit” I could scrub away.

You see, glass is porous. Those white streaks were parts of the glass that had literally been etched away by years of improper care. Cleaning with the wrong products, not cleaning enough, harsh water and scrubbing too hard all contribute to that etching process. Once it starts, unfortunately, there’s no going back.

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We install a ton of glass shower and tub enclosures at Beverly Glass. I’d say more that 75% of that glass has been treated with an invisible “shield”, if you will. Treated glass requires less frequent cleaning, inhibits the buildup of mineral deposits and soap scum as well as bacteria and mold.

Come into the shop sometime and I’ll give you a quick demo of untreated vs. treated glass and, if you’re considering a new shower or tub enclosure I’d be happy to give you some literature on treated glass and how to care for it.

If you currently have a shower or tub enclosure that you love please use a squeegee. Throw that scrubber sponge or whatever away and pick up a cleaner that is safe for glass. Don’t use toilet bowl cleaner!

Please contact us if you have questions or need advice. We’d love to help.

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